The Labyrinth: Beyond the Walls
by Loving the Alien
Summary: What really happened after Sarah defeated the Goblin King? A continuation of the lives of both Sarah and Jareth after the movie ends. What I feel is an appropriate extension to the story we all know and love. Rated K for now, to increase as high as M in future chapters for content.
1. Prologue: Victory

Author's Note: I claim nothing. All things in my story belong to their original copyrighted owners. It'd be a shame to get sued for something like this. Rather silly. This chapter will seem a bit familiar, but I kind of used it as a refresher for everyone's memory, so we are all on the same page story wise. Enjoy.

Prologue: Victory  
_

"You have no power over me."

The words seemed to echo over and over again, rebounding off every surface. The chiming of the clock pounded in her ears. The ground below her began to crumble, the very structure of the environment also seemed to disinegrate before her eyes, and the solemn face of the Goblin King glanced at her once more, before tossing the crystal orb in the air, an unanswered question of dreams and fairytales, bursting like a bubble in the palm of her hand. The white and bollowy robes of the Goblin King seemed to manifest itself into feathers, and before her eyes he was reduced to his bird like form of an average barn owl. She blinked, and suddenly was in a very familiar place, back in her own living room, and the owl flew quickly past her and out into the night sky. Sarah had defeated him. She had won.

In a sudden realization of her surroundings, her eyes grew wide and Sarah remembered the one thing she had fought so hard to bring back. "Toby...Toby!" she shouted, running up the stairs into his bedroom, taking the steps two at a time.

She opened the door and glanced over the bars of the crib, "Toby!" The tiny babe was fast asleep under the covers, as if nothing had happened. Sarah internally sighed in relief, and smiled softly at her young half sibling. She reached over to the worn out brown teddy bear on the dresser, and placed it under the covers beside him, "I'd like Lancelot to belong to you now." Sarah turned the lights off and left the door cracked slightly, and crossed the hallway into her bedroom.

_"Wow,"_ she thought, _"Did what just happen..._actually _just happen?_" The memories were all too fresh and real to her, from the moment she said the words that got Toby taken away, right up until she uttered those final six words to save him. "I need to relax..." she whispered to herself.

She sat down at her vanity, and began to set aside a few things in her drawers, out of sight for the time being. Her music box with the white dancer inside. A few photographs, one being of her mother and a blonde gentlemen she acted in a play with, and also her book, "The Labyrinth." Sarah closed her vanity drawer, and heard a voice calling from downstairs.

"Sarah! Sarah, are you home?" her father called from downstairs.

"Yeah! Yes I'm home!" Suddenly, she saw the ferocious, yet gentle face of the beast Ludo staring back at her in her mirror, "Goodbye, Sarah."

She looked behind her, yet she saw nothing. She glanced back in the mirror, and the tiny fox figure of Sir Didymus appeared sitting on her bed, "And remember, fair maiden, should you need us..."

"Yes", said Hoggle, appearing next to him in the mirror, "Should you need us, for any reason at all." Sarah smiled at her friends in the mirror, "I need you, Hoggle."

"Wha...ya do?" questioned Hoggle.

"I don't know why, but...every now again in my life, for no reason at all, I need you. All of you," said Sarah. "Ya..ya do? Well, why didn't you say so!"

Sarah turned around in surprise to see all of her friends around her, setting off party poppers, tossing streamers, waving party favors, and cheering loudly and dancing about to music coming from an unknown source. She wondered for a moment if her parents could hear the commotion, but assumed there was some silencing spell that kept all the noise inside the room. It must have because nobody seemed to notice the party going on. She was so excited to see everybody, from goblins, to Fireys, the Wise Man, and of course her three close friends that she made along her journey. They danced and celebrated her victory well into the night, and before long all of the creatures returned to the Labyrinthine realm, completely unaware of the barn owl perched on the branch outside Sarah's bedroom, watching the festivities before silently flying off into the night.


	2. Chapter 1: Stories

Author's Note: As always, I own nothing, and characters and places described within belong to Jim Henson, and other various owners. I do appreciate the opportunity to borrow them for my own pleasure. Also, as the story progresses so will Sarah's maturity, and for now in the early chapters she will still retain very much her naive point of view on how her adventure unfolded. Enjoy.

Chapter 1: Stories

Sarah awoke the next morning, groggy with a deep ache in her temples. She surveyed the room around her, no evidence of the magical frivolity that occurred the night before. It was difficult to discern whether or not the night before was just a long, extremely vivid dream. She knew it wasn't though. She remembered as clear as day, every aspect of her journey. She remembered the almost glowing atmosphere surrounding the Labyrinth, an almost ethereal light, which was something she couldn't quite describe but was very much magical, and nothing she had ever seen in the mortal world. She remembered the smell; the air was fragrant, yet musky and spicy (unless you had the misfortune of stumbling upon the Bog of Eternal Stench, which was something she also remembered quite clearly). It was a scent all its own, and she was certain no fragrance-making lab in the mortal world could duplicate it.

Sarah lay wide awake in her bed, the bright red numbers on her alarm clock flashing "6:00AM" brightly at her. Today was a Sunday so fortunately, no school. She took this small comfort and sighed softly, rolling over to her right side. Upon doing so she noticed her poster of "Relativity" by M.C Escher, and was instantly reminded of her hellish ordeal in the room of stairs.

She replayed the events in her head over and over again, especially anything that involved the Goblin King. The Goblin King...she didn't understand why he could be so cruel. Clearly, she hadn't meant what she said in the first place when she had said the words. People make mistakes in the heat of the moment, don't they? It was a bad call. And she was just angry. She hadn't really meant for him to take Toby away. But she knew she had to rise to the challenge, and do what she needed to in order to get him back.

"It doesn't look that far", she remembers saying out loud. "It's further than you think, time is short," he replied cynically, sounding quite confident in her impending failure.

He wasn't kidding. Even with her vivid imagination, she couldn't have imagined what lay before her. Throughout each task that was put before her from the endless hallway, to the maze itself, the oubliette, and everything in between. There's still something Sarah wasn't quite able to figure out. Her hallucination after taking a bite of Hoggle's peach.

While disillusioned from the effects of the drugged peach, she still remembered it quite well. She was in a silver ball gown, hair adorned with crystals and pearls, her ears and neck bore gorgeous jewels she could have only dreamed of wearing. The room itself was a bit strange, with couches and various furniture pieces surrounding the dance floor, and grand chandeliers with pearls and beads dangling above the dancers on the floor. Couples were very much involved in themselves, but would glance Sarah's way and laugh mockingly. She felt as though she didn't belong there, almost the butt of a private joke. The masks around her were almost frightening, with painted snarls and mocking eyes. She didn't know anyone there. Then she saw his face. She didn't know why, but she felt compelled to find him. She needed to be near him. But every time she got close he would disappear behind a parade of masks and gowns. Finally she approached him, and he took her by the waist and they began to dance. Sarah didn't even know how to dance. But in that moment she didn't want to be anywhere else. He also had begun to sing to her, songs of the world falling down and being in love. In love? How could he be in love with her? That couldn't have been what he meant. Her thoughts were becoming cloudy, and all she could focus on was the romance of the moment and being in his arms. Then she heard the clock chime. She glanced over at the 13 numbered clock and suddenly she remembered. Toby! She needed to rescue Toby! She had to get away. She broke from his grasp and through the throng of dancers. She looked back at him and saw what looked like…hurt? Hurt in his eyes. But it couldn't have been, he was simply trying to distract her, nothing more. She knew she had to get out. Glancing around the room she noticed it was completely circular, and it was a completely reflective surface. As if they were inside a crystal. So she grabbed a chair and burst open the dream bubble, and it dissolved and disappeared before her eyes.

Why would he sing a song about love? Why would he whisk her off her feet, and show her a world of dreams and fantasy? All he wanted was to turn Toby into a goblin, so it must have been his last attempt at a glorious distraction. She couldn't think of any other logical explanation, after all, it had almost worked. Sure, in some ways she found him extremely alluring, even attractive, but the constant reminder of the ordeal he had put her through was enough to make her remember what a monster he was.

"I need to get all this in writing," Sarah said out loud to herself, "I need to clear my head." So she reached into her bedside table drawer and pulled out a book in bound green leather, opened it up, and began to write out her story.

Come Monday morning, it was time for the worst part of the day; school. Sarah was only a sophomore, but as far as she was concerned, she couldn't graduate fast enough. She had very few friends. Most other girls her age were interested in boys, makeup and clothes, and didn't see anything appealing about Sarah's infinite fascination with costuming, literature and theater. There were a small group of people her age in a drama club, of which she was a very active participant, and for the most part got along with Sarah pretty well. First period was her AP English class, and books in hand, she walked through the door with a minute to spare and took a spot in the middle of the classroom.

"Good morning, class!" exclaimed Mrs. Weatherby, a curvaceous, middle aged woman, glancing at her students over her oval shaped glasses. "Good morning, Mrs. Weatherby", chimed the classroom in a bored, monotone chorus.

"Well glad to see how lively you are today", she muttered, "No matter. I have an assignment for all of you. I'd like each of you to take the next week and come up with an original story. As if each of you were writing your own novel, so to speak." Sarah's eyes brightened at the prospect of the assignment. " You may choose any topic you like, be it fiction or non-fiction, but any explicit vulgarity will result in a failing grade. I want you to use your imaginations, and experiment with your vocabulary, as well as being descriptive with your writing. I would like it to be at least five to ten chapters, but you can do more if you like, with a solid plotline that is straightforward and easy to follow. These original stories will be due on my desk first thing next Monday morning. Any questions?"

A few mutters of "no" were tossed around the room, and some students were already vocally complaining about having to come up with something original on their own. Not Sarah.

"Excellent," said Mrs. Weatherby, "I will give you the remainder of class to decide on a topic, and to write out a basic outline of the story you plan to write. Ask if you have any questions, or need help choosing a topic." Sounds of pencils and erasers on paper began to fill the classroom, and Sarah already knew exactly what her story was going to be about.


	3. Chapter 2: Older Chests

Author's Note: I hereby release all ownership to the Jim Henson company and all other appropriate parties. Gosh this legal stuff is boring. Hope you've enjoyed it so far, things will start getting exciting and interesting, promise! And we will also flash forward a bit into the future.

Chapter 3: Older Chests  
_

"Sarah! Would you mind helping me with this please?" called Karen, her stepmother from down in the basement.

"Yes, I'll be right there!" Sarah replied back.

It had been five years since the fateful, and at the time, seemingly uninteresting assignment of an original story from a high school AP English class changed her life forever. Sarah had chosen to document her adventure through the Labyrinth, and what she labeled as fiction, she knew very well just how real it was. She couldn't really tell that to anyone, of course. Her English teacher Mrs. Weatherby was so impressed by her story, not only had she received a passing grade with flying colors, she had begun to send out glowing recommendations to some of the most prestigious universities and Ivy League schools in the country, praising her for her literary talents. Throughout the rest of Sarah's high school career she also took Sarah under her wing and began to mentor and tutor her in styles oF writing, although her obvious talents were in the subjects of fantasy and science fiction. In her senior year, she had recommended Sarah to enter her story of the Labyrinth in an annual contest by a local university for young novelists, the winner of such a contest would recieve a scholarship to the school as well as the opportunity to publish their novel to the public. She had entered, and all but blew the competition away with her originality and distinct style of writing. The response to her book was incredibly positive, and she had gotten praise from various professors judging the competition. This was the start of Sarah's future.

She got signed on with a local publisher, and now at the young age of twenty was a best-selling, young adult fiction writer. Sarah became popular with her best-seller simply titled "Labyrinth", and also created a spin off series depicting the lives of the creatures within, namely the dwarf Hoggle, the gentle beastly giant Ludo, and the noble fox knight Sir Didymus. However, aside from "Labyrinth", her next best-selling book was all about the most mysterious figure of them all, the Goblin King. A chronicle of his life, how Sarah would have imagined his character to come to be, and an overall analysis of what a Goblin King actually does. The books flew off the shelves and she had already done a small tour throughout the country doing interviews and book signings. The income was extremely well and allowed her to move into her own apartment and purchase her own car. She had one last stop on her tour, in her hometown, actually, very close to her apartment. After this last book signing, she was set to move out to New York, to fulfill her dream of getting one of her novels on the NY Times Bestseller list. Sarah's father and stepmother Karen were currently in the process of downsizing their home, and cleaning out various things throughout that they no longer needed. The basement was the first step, and Sarah was currently helping Karen remove a large trunk.

"Wow, this thing is really old and heavy, what's in it?" Sarah grunted, holding one side up as she scaled the stairs with Karen holding the other end.

"I'm not quite sure, but it's been in here forever. It's locked, but the key to it is hanging over by the mantle. Open it and take a look, maybe there's some things in there you might like to take with you." "Yeah, maybe there is," Sarah replied. They finally reached the top of the stairs and the trunk dropped to the ground with a THUD. Karen wiped a drop of sweat off her brow.

"I'm getting too old for all this manual labor...I'm going to get a glass of water and take a break for a moment before I go back down there. Would you like anything?" Karen asked.

"No, thank you," Sarah replied. Karen walked off to the kitchen, and Sarah retrieved the small key to the trunk, hanging near the mantle like Karen had said. She put the key in the lock and opened up the lid, coughing at the cloud of dust that erupted. Upon immediate examination everything inside looked like junk, but then she got a closer look.

Screenplays...old photographs...Playbills...costumes and other accessories. This trunk belonged to her mother! She rummaged through the musky pile and pulled out a small stack of photographs. Her mother on stage as Juliet with her Romeo...her mother backstage holding a bouquet of flowers, posing in a shot with a fellow actor...each photo was of a public appearance, or during a performance, each time with the same actor. He had a sculpted, masculine face, very light hair, and had very intense, unique eyes. Where had she seen this man before? She took the photo of her mother posing backstage with the man, folded it in half and tucked it away in the back pocket of her jeans. She also retrieved a few more items to stow in her bag, a screenplay or two for her own personal reference, and a handful of various trinkets, including a pocket watch, string of pearls, and a silk scarf, and locked the remaining items back in the trunk.

Sarah walked back into the kitchen to find Karen washing her hands. "Do you need anything else from me Karen? I need to go off to my book signing and I have a plane to catch later tonight."

"No! Go on dear. Unfortunately Toby is still out of town or I would have him see you off to the airport," said Karen.  
"Oh, it's alright," said Sarah, "I'll call him when I land." The two women embraced, and Sarah set out for her last and final book signing for the tour. Upon arriving to the bookstore she already noticed a line forming outside. "I can't believe people are waiting in line for my book," she thought to herself, "It's so surreal."

Sarah parked her car behind the building and walked inside, with five minutes to spare before the bookstore opened. She took her place at the autograph table, drank out of a nearby glass of water, and waited until soon enough the line from outside was allowed in. The first person in line strode up to the table and placed a hardback copy of "Labyrinth" in front of her. Barely looking up, she asked, "Who do I make this out to?"

"Ah...no personalization is necessary."

That voice. Sarah froze, and glanced up and looked at the man before her. It couldn't be.

"J...Jareth?" she asked.

"Not quite...I am his father. Very pleased to meet you, Miss Sarah Williams."


	4. Chapter 3: Zephyr

Author's Note: Ohhhh what's gonna happen next? The suspense is killing me! Oh wait, I already know what's gonna happen next. Muahaha. Don't forget to keep those reviews coming! Oh yea, and something about characters belonging to their original copyright owners. Not mine. Obviously.

Chapter 3: Zephyr  
_

Sarah sat there in bewilderment, trying to process what this unusually gorgeous man was saying. Jareth's...father?

"I'm sorry...Jareth's father?" Sarah asked, trying to mask the look of horror and fascination on her face. And doing so quite unsuccessfully.

He smiled, "That's right. Forgive me for being forward, I'm quite a big fan of your work, Miss Williams, so naturally...I jumped at the opportunity for an autograph, once I heard you were having a book signing in this area. This particular story of yours is my absolute favorite." He gestured towards the hardback copy of "Labyrinth", flipped open, waiting for a signature. Sarah composed herself long enough to quickly etch her name on the front page with her sharpie.

"I was also wondering if perhaps we could...have a chat? After your signing is complete, of course. I'd hate to deny your fans an opportunity to meet you." His charm and grace were as alluring as his sons. He noticed they had the same facial structure, as well as the same mismatched colored eyes. She tried not to gaze into them. Without thinking, she responded, "Yes, of course." What on earth could he need to talk to me about?

"Excellent," he said, took her hand and kissed it, "A pleasure meeting you. Meet me at this address, say, around six o' clock this evening?" He slipped her what looked like a business card. "Six o'clock is perfect, sir. I'll see you then," Sarah replied, surprising herself at the calmness in her voice. He nodded curtly and stepped to the side, allowing the next person behind him to come forward and have their books signed. She plastered on a semi-fake smile to mask the obvious shock on her face and happily greeted her fans one by one throughout the line. Dozens of thoughts and questions whirled through her head the next hour and a half, and she did her best to try and not let her thoughts distract her as she signed her books.

_Okay...I need a moment to process the fact that the father of the King of the Goblins just came to my book signing. First off, what the hell is he doing here? If he knows who I am, he obviously has discussed me with Jareth. But WHAT DID THEY SAY? That must have been an awkward conversation. Not to mention he's got to be a couple thousand years old. At LEAST. Although to tell the truth I'm not sure how old Jareth is either. Why are all immortals like, hundreds of thousands of years old? There aren't any immortals born within the last century? I'll try not to let that freak me out. And another thing, I wasn't aware magical beings just took residence up here with mortals. Doesn't he have some fancy schmancy royal...stuff to do down there? What exactly do fathers of Goblin Kings do anyways? Supervise the stealing of human children? I suppose there might be another realm…or kingdom he's in charge of. Is the Labyrinth even considered a kingdom? It really just seems like an overly obnoxious booby trap. What on earth could we possibly have to say to one another? I mean he obviously knows my book is based off truth. So, then what? "Oh hi Mr...Goblin King, senior? Sorry I defeated your son. To tell the truth he's kind of a hard ass. Hope he's not still angry with me. Oh, he is? Lovely._

This was going to be a long day.

* * *

Sarah had finally gotten through her last few signatures. She went through the back door, chugging her water bottle as she got back into her car. She felt incredibly dehydrated. As she sat down, she noticed something slip out of her pocket onto the ground outside the driver's side. Leaning over to grab it, Sarah noticed it was the photo of her mother she had tucked in her back pocket earlier that day. She unfolded it and looked it over again, and studied the man standing next to her._ "Oh my God…"_ How had she not noticed this before?! She always noticed he looked familiar but was never able to pinpoint exactly why. Light hair…structured face…the man in the photo was Jareth's father. There was no other person it could be. She flipped over the photo and looked at two tiny scribbles on the bottom.

_Linda and Zephyr_

She pulled out the business card Jareth's father had given her. The address on here was maybe about ten minutes or so away from the book store. The name printed on the card was simply, Zephyr. Sarah typed in the address into her GPS system and drove off, still quite unsure what this meeting was going to bring, or even accomplish for that matter. This brief discovery of noticing the fact Jareth's father used to know her MOTHER, kind of put her on edge. Frankly, the whole situation was just confusing and made absolutely no sense at all.

The day was still early, and fall was approaching, colorful autumn leaves falling on the sidewalks and roads, and the crisp air outside a cool, yet comfortable temperature. The address was taking her to a more upper class part of town, and she stopped outside a classy looking coffee shop, with an intricately designed carved sign reading, "Clair de Lune Café". Sarah entered the café and surveyed the room, and spotted exactly who she was looking for in the back right corner. Jareth's father, or, Zephyr, smiled curtly and gestured towards her with his hand to join him. She did so, and sat right across from him, he took a sip out of a mug with a spicy aroma.

"I'm glad we have a chance to meet like this," said Zephyr.

"Yes…" Sarah agreed cautiously, "I must admit, I wasn't expecting you…ever. Zephyr, isn't it? I wasn't sure if you had a…title of some sort."

"Yes, and you may call me Zephyr. I assume you read the name off of the card I gave you," he said.

"Yes," Sarah replied, "And also this." She held up the photo of her mother to him. He smiled.

"Ah…yes. I was going to mention your mother. Lovely woman, and may she rest in peace. Fine actress, and quite a remarkable woman. We were co-stars in quite a few plays and musicals. She always had a knack for a lead role, and quite the imagination. You are so much like her." His compliment made her blush.

"Thank you," she said, "As you can imagine…I have a few questions."

"I would expect nothing less," Zephyr said simply.

"I suppose I should start with…why did you want to see me? And why now? I know you must know of me from…your son. Clearly you made the connection from my own personal experience through my book, I made that assumption pretty quick on my own, am I correct?" Zephyr nodded in reply. "It has been years…I suppose I just don't understand."

"Well," Zephyr began, "Let me start off by saying I understand how confused you must be. However in order for this to make any sense to you I must give you a bit of background. You see, several millennia ago, at least by earthly standards, I was the Supreme Ruler of the Goblin Kingdom. Goblins, you see, are not a very intelligent species on their own. They need guidance, and a superior entity to keep things running smoothly. With the proper leader, they are very efficient beings of society and make for very good workers. I am of Fae descent, and other rulers of the Seelie Court held a largely important Council meeting to appoint the next ruler of the Goblins, when the last ruler had passed away. In those days, Goblins were all but feral and nearly impossible to control. Nobody wanted the job, naturally. I however became the one chosen. And when I was appointed ruler the Goblin Kingdom was but a barren wasteland. I spent hundreds of years turning it into a thriving society of not just Goblins, but a land that many creatures had come to live in." Faeries, giants, dwarves, and other creatures, as I'm sure you've come to know."

"Also, the Goblin Kingdom is not just the Labyrinth, oh no. The Labyrinth itself is something that came to be around a hundred and fifty years ago, around the time my son, Jareth was born."

_Well, at least he's younger than I thought…_

"As you can imagine, once Jareth was of appropriate age to take over the kingdom, I passed on the role to him obligingly. As the heir to the throne, naturally he grew accustomed to the idea at a very early age. He was a natural born King. And he always had humility about him, and the ability to rule his subjects without a cruel, or cold heart. I, however, by that point had grown tired of such a life. My people, of immortality, typically have no interest in the Aboveground world, of mortals and manual labor. Your kind is thought of as inferior, and weak, especially to those in higher standings with the Court and of noble blood. In my world, immortality is something that is heavily taken for granted, and after so many years, I grew weary of it. I petitioned the Court to grant me a life on earth, with humans and mortals. I have lived in this world for the past twenty mortal years. I am still granted my immortality; however I am no longer able to live among my people again, by law of the Seelie Court."

Sarah let this process for a moment. "So that explains why you are here among humans. But I am guessing there is more to the story?" Sarah inquired.

"Of course," said Zephyr, taking another sip from his cup, "Jareth's mother, my Queen, died of a mysterious illness that was never completely discovered. As an immortal she should not have died, and many believed the death to be the work of black magic, because when we found her body, all of her blood had been drained, and there wasn't a mark on her. It devastated me, and Jareth especially, he was very close with her."  
"But, I digress. Around the turn of the century, the fascination that humans had with all things magical began to increase. Belief in faeries, elves, and all manner of magical creatures. Legends began to form, some of unknown origin, and others based on untrue facts, some on true facts that were unable to be proved. And fantasy authors throughout the years of the early to mid-1900 have just added fuel to the fire of the imaginations of humans throughout the world. There was a period in the 1920s when siblings would begin to threaten one another away to the goblins. In my world, mortal wishes regarding species and races like ours are heard very clear through the Seelie Court. The demands for young children to be given to the Goblins reached high popularity, to the point where action had to be taken. It was decided that in order to accommodate these wishes, an obstacle was to be given to the wisher and they had the choice to complete the obstacle or not. Otherwise the child would be taken to the court for evaluation. That is how the Labyrinth came to be. A physical obstacle capable of manifesting into the wishers fears, insecurities and personal struggles along the way."

"Wait…evaluation?" Sarah asked.

"Yes. Some children wished away were ill of a mortal fever and unable to be saved, some suffered illnesses of the mind, others, physical deformities or other forms of limitation. Often times, children would wish away crying siblings who did so because of these illnesses. Some did so out of kindness, hoping that the King of the Goblins could take them away to a better life, others out of hate or ungratefulness. Those were the children deemed to be turned into Goblins, if it were in the favor of the child for a longer, more prosperous life in this world. Other children, if deemed mentally stable, aware of their surroundings, and healthy, were usually adopted by elven or fae families unable to have children, or wanted to adopt a child. And eventually they would become immortal as well."

"Wow…that is not the answer I expected. I just assumed all children were turned into Goblins. When I was put through the Labyrinth, Jareth gave me thirteen hours to get him back, or he would be turned into a Goblin, period. There was no mention of any other option," said Sarah.

"Well of course not", Zephyr replied, "The object is to make the wisher want to get them back. To make them believe that without trying to save them, the only possible outcome would be terrible. We don't want to take these children, or sometimes adults, depending on the wisher. But we also know that sometimes the wisher doesn't want that person back. And we are prepared for either scenario."

"It's just so much more…humane…than I would have expected," Sarah said, "I just remember everything about Jareth as being cruel," said Sarah.

"Think of it as…playing a part. Jareth was playing the villain because that is what you expected of him. Nothing more, nothing less. There was no room for him to be kind, not in the way you probably think he should have been."

The coffee shop attendants were beginning to close up shop, and Zephyr finished the last of his drink before pushing his chair back and standing up.

"I chose to meet here because it was more of a public setting, and I wanted you to be comfortable meeting with me. Would you like to continue this conversation at my home? There is still much to discuss, " said Zephyr. "Yes, of course," Sarah replied.

"Wonderful. I notice you have a car, you may follow mine to the destination," said Zephyr. They both stood up and Zephyr held the door open for Sarah, "After you, my dear."

Sarah got into her car and followed the sleek black Mustang in front of her, anxious to arrive so she could hear more of what this mysterious fae had to say regarding her, her mother, and more importantly, Jareth.


	5. Chapter 4: Surprises

Author's Note: Thank you for all the reviews so far! They really help, and are appreciated. Constructive criticism is always accepted, so unless your negtivity is useful in making the story better you will be ignored ^.^ I won't pretend to be the best proof reader of all time, so chances are spelling/grammar mistakes may happen, I'll do my best to fix them as I go. If not, sorry bout it. Doing my best to keep this story as original as possible, and getting a chapter posted at least every other day, but don't hold me to that promise just yet. I also like to please the fans, so if you have suggestions, spill em!

Also, I own nothing, as per usual. Except Zephyr, Jareth's hot father.

Chapter 4: Surprises

Sarah pulled up behind Zephyr's car, and glanced up at his home. It was in a very quaint neighborhood where no two houses were the same. It had a very midieval feel to it, and was designed much like she would imagine a home in a fairy tale to feel. Suitable for a former Goblin King. She stepped up to the front door with Zephyr and he opened the door for her, and gestured his hand towards her, inviting her inside. The interior of the home reminded her of something she would picture the inside of a hobbit hole to be. Books and parchments scattered about, hand carved furniture, but of course with the luxuries of the modern world, electricity, flat screen television, and a modern kitchen.  
"Would you like something to drink, Miss Williams?" Zephyr asked.

"Just a glass of water, please," replied Sarah, "And please, call me Sarah."

"Of course. Have a seat wherever you'd like, Sarah. I'll be right back with that water."

Sarah sat down on the unique plush sofa, and ran her fingers along the seat, covered in a material she wasn't able to identify. Zephyr returned quickly with a tall glass of iced water, and took a seat to the right of Sarah in an armchair which she thought looked equally as comfortable as the sofa.

"You have a lovely home," Sarah remarked, "It's a lot more...simple than I would have expected. But it suits you quite well."

"Thank you," Zephyr replied, "I am far more simple than most people might guess. It takes very little to make me happy, which is why a life here on earth is far more appealing to me than where I came from. But, lets continue with our previous conversation, shall we? Now, where was I..."

"You were discussing Jareth as playing a part for me," said Sarah.

"Ah, yes. It's a difficult role, to be certain. But also if you noticed, Jareth had given you many things along the way that were able to help you complete your task, even though you may have not noticed it was he who was the one helping," said Zephyr.

"How do you mean?" asked Sarah.

"You never saw me during your journey, but I was closely surveying everything that happened. As the object of fear and intimidation, Jareth was not in any position to help you in any way, not directly. However, he is able to give you clues, even nudge you in the right direction, so to speak. As well as providing you with creatures that may become your allies. Do you remember any creatures in the Labyrinth perhaps giving you hints? Do you remember any moments that seemed extremely dire, but you made it out in the nick of time?"

She remembered the moment where she thought the Cleaners were going to run her and Hoggle over with their sharp blades and spikes, and the door she was leaning on fell through right in the nick of time, exposing a ladder out of the dark tunnel. Meeting Hoggle, Ludo and Sir Didymus along the way who ultimately were the ones who helped her through the entire maze. Subtle things along the way that seemed like dumb luck at the time. She nodded.

"Now don't get me wrong, we are extremely tricky in some of the ways we provide hints and clues. For example, the worm that you met in the neverending hallway. He was instructed to tell you not to go in the direction of the castle. While this may seem like an obvious diversion, it is not so. Had you asked the worm why you shouldn't go that way, he would have told you it was going in the direction of the castle. He was not instructed to lie. So yes...it may seem like a very flawed system of helping, but it goes to show, like you have come to know first hand, nothing is what it seems in the Labyrinth," said Zephyr.

This whole new perspective of the way the Labyrinth works and the way things happen was, in a word, mindblowing to Sarah. She had completely misunderstood everything. But, there was no way for her to have known that.

"One thing I have never understood, Zephyr," Sarah began, "My...hallucination. The enchanted peach that Hoggle gave me, that took me into the crystal ballroom. Why did that happen? If Jareth was, in his own subtle ways, trying to help me all along, why would he try and distract me from my course?" Sarah asked.

"I knew you would eventually ask about this," Zephyr said, "And believe me when I say, Jareth would not want me to tell you this. Now you must understand...what happened to you with that peach, that glorious "hallucination", Jareth had never done anything like that to anyone who had ever gone through the Labyrinth. He had even stopped time to allow it to happen. So of course, I was curious as to what the actual purpose of the peach was. At first, I was never exactly able to get a straight answer out of him. While Jareth is naturally kind in nature...he has a certain image he must portray, not just to wishers, but to the Underground society as a whole. Which makes it difficult for him to be honest about some of his emotions. I had a discussion with him about this particular moment, around two years ago. He explained to me simply...that he was in love with you."

Sarah opened her mouth to speak, and Zephyr held up his hand to silence her.

"Before you say anything...I was not initially in approval of this at first. After all, you were only fifteen, you were but a child. The relationship would have been inappropriate in the first sense, but also, I explained to him you would not be able to understand what he was trying to tell you. How on earth would you be able to comprehend the concept of love with him while you were on a journey to rescue your brother? The whole idea was silly to me, not because of you, heavens no, but I understood your mindset and your task at hand was your first priority. I intervened and set the clock back on, which is why you heard it chiming in the ballroom. I just didn't want to see him getting hurt. You, my dear, unknowingly got a very intimate glimpse at who my son really is, a very courtly and romantic gentleman, who is very much driven by love. And over the years, his position on the subject regarding you has not changed at all."

"So what you're trying to tell me, is that Jareth was in love with me...and still is?" Sarah asked, a look of shock and almost disbelief on her face.

"I know my son very well. He's never been interested in the ladies of the court, nor has he shown any interest in females, in general. You are the first woman to ever bring that side out in him. I saw it clear as day then, and it is still very apparent now," said Zephyr.

"So what exactly am I to do with this information...are you going to play matchmaker for us now?" Sarah asked, almost jokingly.

Zephyr laughed, "Well not exactly. But this information I've just shared with you is somewhat of a preface to what I'm about to share with you. In recent years, the Seelie Court has done evaluations of kingdoms throughout the Underground realm. From elves, to dwarves, fae, and all minorities in between. Each of those kingdoms, more or less, have exceptionally thriving societies surrounding the royal families. The Goblin Kingdom, however, is the only realm in the kingdom that is being ruled by a lone ruler. It has no Queen. By Seelie Court judgement, subjects, townspeople, and overall societies as a whole, are in better operational order with a Queen and a King on the throne. It balances out decision making, and overall pressure on day to day duties, as well as keeping in favor with the Court, and upholding all public and personal standards, for without a Queen, there can be no future heir. No King is on one throne for eternity. The Court fears the uncertainty of a future heir to the Goblin Kingdom. A suitable Queen is also of vital importance, not every woman is cut out for the job. The life of a Queen isn't all just pretty dresses and public appearances."

"So, Jareth needs a Queen? And are you saying I'm supposed to be that Queen? You're insane!" Sarah was unable to stop the words from coming out of her mouth.

"Well, precisely, he needs a Queen. In fact, his crown is in jeapordy if he is unable to find a wife in the next twenty four months, since Jareth refuses the option of an arranged marriage, otherwise this would not be an issue. At that point, his title will be put on trial and the Seelie Court will appoint someone else to lead the Goblin Kingdom. Someone likely whom is already married, or someone arranged to become married," said Zephyr.

Sarah was a little shocked by what she was hearing, more so because Zephyr was obviously suggesting that she should be the one to become Jareth's Queen. Sure, he was attractive...and as she got older Sarah was able to appreciate that, but was she in love with him? She wasn't really sure.

"So what exactly are you suggesting, Zephyr?"

"There is a ball. Two weeks from now, as a matter of fact. It is being held in the Kingdom of the High Court, and Jareth, despite his protestations, is required to attend. There, all eligible maidens in the royal kingdom, princesses, duchesses, countesses, and the like, all are also required to attend in an attempt to win Jareth's hand in marriage. Now, forgive me if this sounds a bit presumptuous and a little intrusive, but I have found you, without Jareth's knowing, and I was hoping to maybe convince you to attend this ball," said Zephyr.

"Why would I do that? What exactly do you expect me to to?" asked Sarah.

"Simply, attend. And see what comes of it. I know that, despite your reservations, you have some level of feeling for my son. I am extremely intuitive. I will no sooner force you to love my son as I would force him to love someone else. However, do I wish to send you to this ball and hope for the best? Of course. A father wants what's best for his son. If I didn't believe you were the best for him, I would not be suggesting this at all," said Zephyr.

"Wow..." said Sarah, "Forgive me, Zephyr, but I will need a little bit of time to think about this. Overall this is just too overwhelming for me to decide anything right now."

"Completely understandable. I would be surprised if you had made a choice right this second. However, if I may say so, I hope that you do," said Zephyr, clasping his hands together. Sarah gulped the last of her water, to soothe the sudden dryness in her throat. "I will not rush you on this, nor pressure you. My cell number is on the business card I gave you, so if, and when you make a choice on the matter, you may give me a call. If I do not hear back, I will assume you have chosen not to and I will not bother you again," Zephyr said solemnly.

"Thank you," said Sarah, "I think I'll be going now. I'll be in touch." Sarah tried not to let her voice come out monotone, but her thoughts were racing a million miles a minute and she was having difficulty forming complete sentences. "Of course, I'll see you to the door."

Zephyr walked Sarah to the front door and opened it for her. Sarah stopped on the front porch and turned around, "I forgot to ask you about my mother."

Zephyr just smiled, "We can save that for another time. Until then, Sarah." Zephyr grasped Sarah's hand lightly and kissed her knuckles, before turning around and closing the door behind him.


	6. Chapter 5: Decisions

Author's Note: I'm glad the responses have been mostly positive so far. Yay! There are definitely some twists and surprises coming up so stay tuned. It's gonna be a pretty interesting turn of events coming up. No hints, sorry!

Blah blah nothing belongs to me blah blah copyright laws blah blah.

Chapter 5: Decisions

* * *

Sarah turned the keys in her ignition and sat in the driver's seat with the engine running, slowly taking a moment to herself to process the information she just learned. Quite frankly, the whole thing was ludicrous. She wasn't quite sure what shocked her the most, her naïve and incredibly childish view of how the Labyrinth really worked, or the fact the King of the Goblins was in love with her.

This whole new perspective brought on an entirely new sense of respect for Jareth and what he did for human kids. She never once stopped to think that people wished others away on purpose. Who would do something like that? Although if the alternative is a more happy and long life among magical creatures, it's probably for the best.

Finally composing herself, she pulled out of the driveway and headed south towards her apartment. She still had a flight to catch later tonight for New York, what was she supposed to do? Just put everything on hold to show up at this ball just to see "what happens?" She was unsure of even her own feelings for the Goblin King. Sarah hadn't seen him in years, and the last time wasn't exactly on the best of terms. She hadn't had the opportunity to let any sort of romantic feeling develop, though she had thought about him more often than she would care to admit out loud.

Sarah pulled up into her gated apartment community and stopped by to grab the mail on her way. Opening the door to her apartment she threw her keys to the floor on her right, and plopped down, face first, on her plush sofa, and groaned into the cushion. Her Siamese cat, Loki, mewed in hunger at her from the kitchen.

"I'll feed you in a minute, Loki," said Sarah, barely lifting her head. This whole thing was giving her a massive headache. She decided a hot bath was just the thing to clear her head. Of course, she had a hungry feline to feed first. She walked to the kitchen and scooped some cat food into Loki's bowl, who munched on it gratefully. She gave him a stroke on the back before crossing to the back hallway into the bathroom. She lit some of her favorite candles, turned on the water as hot as she could stand it, and poured various oils and soaps under the running tap. The sweet aroma of vanilla mixed with a spicy cinnamon began to fill her senses and she inhaled deeply, a soft smile tugging at her lips. She turned off the lights and disrobed, set her iPod on a set of speakers to a relaxing playlist, and sank into the steaming bath water chin deep.

Sarah let her thoughts take over for a moment and delved into all the possible scenarios. Well, there were only two options really. One, she could ignore Zephyr's request and not call or make contact, and just pretend none of this ever happened. No, that wasn't an option. Even if she had decided not to go, she was eager to see Zephyr again, if for nothing else but asking questions about how he knows her mother. She was still kind of freaked out about that, to be honest.

So option one, a no go.

Option two, she could call, tell him yes, and attend the ball. She wasn't exactly sure of the details on this one. Where would she stay, and when would she go? Would she need some sort of etiquette lesson? Sarah was not necessarily the most graceful human on the planet, and heaven forbid she attend this thing and offend some uptight elf with her inability to properly execute a dance step, or the right way to hold an eating utensil. She assumed much like humans; even magical creatures have their own etiquette laws and traditions. So yes, that would probably end up happening if she chose to attend this potential-bride free-for-all. This also means, essentially, she would be battling royalty for Jareth's affections. Assuming he's actually in love with her, that shouldn't be too much of an issue, but what do immortals think of humans trying to pair up with one of them? Public scrutiny might also be something to consider, but it wasn't anything Sarah was unfamiliar with.

Option two...undecided.

She let the hot water relax her tired muscles until her skin was wrinkled and the water became cold again, which took about an hour. Reluctantly, she rose from the bath and drained the water, drying off and putting on her plush robe. She stepped out of the bathroom and glanced at the clock. She had to be at the airport in two hours. Sarah groaned. She walked over to the kitchen and picked her cell phone up from the counter, and pulled out Zephyr's business card from her purse. She rotated the phone in her hand for a moment, let out a sigh, and dialed in the number. It rang but once, before he answered.

"Sarah," Zephyr said, "I wasn't expecting your call so soon."

"I've made a decision, Zephyr," said Sarah.

* * *

He was pacing. Right, left. Right, left. That's all he seemed to do anymore. What with the Seelie Court biting at his heels, and passing new and in his opinion, ridiculous law, Jareth was feeling extremely pressured to find a bride at this ball. He knew that no creature in this world would ever replace her. His Sarah.

Contrary to what his father might believe, Jareth wasn't in love with Sarah right off the bat. He was fascinated with her, to a degree. Jareth often used his transfiguration skills into his animal of choice, the owl, to explore the mortal world. He happened upon Sarah two years before that fateful wish, when she acted out a play in the park by herself. It was amusing. Young girls, especially in her day and age, weren't as fascinated with fantasy and imagination as she was. He began to figure out when and what times of the day she would be there, and he would perch on statues and trees nearby to watch her. He assumed as she got older, the costumes and fairy tales would disappear and she would outgrow the whimsical nature of her games. It was never so with Sarah, and he admired that about her. He began to develop a sense of protectiveness around her, and he never once considered the possibility that she would wish away her younger sibling. When she did, he played out the normal spiel, portraying the villain as he always had to. Sarah had been the first wisher in over a decade to take on the challenge of getting their sibling back. But he knew she would.

She was naïve, but also brave and clever. He had never seen a human girl with quite the determination that she had. For Sarah, failure was not an option, despite seemingly insurmountable odds against her. She was the first one to challenge Jareth, directly to his face. "It's a piece of cake!" she had said. That, was a spirit Jareth liked. From then on, his feelings for her began to grow a bit beyond a sense of pride and admiration.

It was a strange feeling that he was very unfamiliar with. Sarah began to affect him in an emotionally and psychologically profound way. Dryness in the throat, a quickness of the pulse, a fluttering in his stomach, an irregular beat to his heart. Thoughts of her would begin to cloud his judgment, and the more she defied him, the more he desired her. No woman had ever had the bravery to stand up to the Goblin King. And she did so from the moment she stepped into his Labyrinth. All things considered, how could he not fall in love with her?

So he came up with an idea. He knew it was a long shot, but he knew he would never get Sarah in a setting where he would be allowed to show his true self to her. So he created a grand illusion of what she would assume later to be an elaborate diversion. Of course it wasn't that way at all, because he had stopped time, not want to waste a moment of her time to rescue Toby. But much to his sadness, his dream ball for her wasn't as he had planned, and she realized too soon for his liking that she was in the middle of a task, and broke away to go on and eventually, rescue him.

Looking back, Jareth realized she was far too young to understand, not just mentally, but physically also. She could neither understand nor accept a declaration of love, especially from Jareth, of all people.

Of course, that was years ago. And Jareth had resisted the urge to check on Sarah, even in his birdlike form, for years. Jareth had granted her friends Hoggle, Ludo and Sir Didymus the ability to contact Sarah through her bedroom mirror, and she did call upon them often at first, and less and less as the years went on, as she became more busy with her books and publishing. Sometimes Hoggle would tell Jareth of their conversations. But even now, Sarah's friends hadn't seen her in quite a long time.

And now, here in the present, he was faced with a dilemma. Get married, or forfeit his crown. This ball, in Jareth's opinion, was nothing more than a waste of time. He was no more romantically interested in the ladies of the court than he was of his own subjects. Most royal marriages, even in his world, happened more for status, convenience, and wealth. Love rarely played a part in those sorts of pairings, and most of them were arranged. Jareth always had a romantic heart, and having found a woman to bring that side of him to life, he found it to be more or less a death sentence to be arranged to marry someone he had no interest in. Jareth was not someone who wanted to simply tolerate his Queen. If he had his way…he would want Sarah to be his bride.

On his desk, a stack of papers and photographs lay, taunting him. They were the images and descriptions of the various bachelorettes whom would be attending the ball, and Jareth was required to look through them as to perhaps get an idea of the women he would meet, and maybe perhaps see something he would like. He sighed dramatically and sat down, flipping through the papers and looking at the photographs. These women were beautiful; there was no doubt about that. Jareth could appreciate beauty. But these women had no substance, and were brought up at an early age to "serve" their husbands and kings. Hardly anyone Jareth could consider an equal. Jareth brushed the stack of papers aside, and fashioned a quill and parchment with a wave of his wrist. Quickly, he began to sketch. Minutes later, a familiar face was looking back at him from the parchment, and he admired his drawing of a very particular human woman, blissfully ignoring the photographs waiting for him on his desk.

* * *

"I've made a decision, Zephyr," said Sarah. "Yes?" he questioned.

She let out a deep sigh.

"I have decided…I'll go."


End file.
